The one pound per tyre cost attached to Kwik-Fit’s newly launched nitrogen tyre inflation service could reduce, according DFT figures, the nation’s fuel bill by £1.2 billion a year. You can thank the size and dryness of nitrogen molecules for this at the pump frugality – these two qualities make them less prone to leaking or evaporating from a tyre, and therefore correct tyre pressure can be maintained for much longer.
Tyre recovery and recycling specialists Murfitts industries has suffered a fire at its Littleport, Cambridgeshire site. Managing director Barry Stocker told Tyres & Accessories/tyrepress.com that it is too early to say how much damage has been done, but he did confirm that there is both structural and stock loss. Nevertheless, the company is continuing to take in tyres at other sites. According to local firefighers, a diesel fuel tank and gas cylinders exploded during the fire and 50 firefighters tackled flames from 200 tonnes of tyre shred on fire at the site. Local news reports suggest two buildings next to the tyre factory have been destroyed by the fire.
TIA still feels it would be the best option to conduct consumer-level tyre fuel efficiency education, while RMA challenges that NHTSA’s proposed fuel efficiency rating system is inadequate.
Those were the themes behind both groups’ comment filings late last week, just before NHTSA’s August 21 deadline for comments on its mandated tyre fuel efficiency rating system.
A most useful addition has been made to the motorist’s arsenal: Richbrook has released a digital tyre pressure guage that is not much bigger than the average keyring, yet boasts an accurate gauge that measures in both PSA and BAR to a +/- 1 per cent level of accuracy – a degree of accuracy typically found in much larger units. A blue display is intended to facilitate measurement reading in all weather and lighting conditions. and the unit’s design also incorporates an inbuilt flashlight and key clip, making the gauge a handy travel companion in all manner of situations.
According to the findings of the latest J.D. Power and Associates Retail Tire Experience Report, improving recommendation rates amongst sales staff at independent tyre retailers is one of the most effective means of increasing market share. This conclusion was reached after compiling the results of more than 4,000 ‘mystery shopper’ telephone calls to 2,100 retail tyre locations in the US during 2008 and 2009. The report examines which tyre brands are recommended by salespeople at major tyre retailers and how effectively retailers handle telephone shoppers.
Three weeks. 9,000-plus miles. 48 states. 67.9 miles per gallon – That’s all you need to know about a world-record trek by an Australian couple who smashed the existing Guinness world record for fuel economy by nine full miles per gallon – all on Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max radials.
If Doctor Foster had gone to Gloucester in 2009 he’d have had more to worry about than puddles. According to a three-month study carried out by the Chris Mullins Tyres, more than three quarters of motorists in the southwest town are leaving it too late before they replace worn, damaged and potentially dangerous tyres. Staff at the Gloucester based tyre specialist found that almost 77 per cent of the 3,050 tyres they examined from cars, 4x4s and light vans between May and the end of July were already worn below the legal limit of 1.6mm.
Tyres are often the most overlooked part of a vehicle, and in many cases more action is required when it comes to preparing trucks for poor weather conditions. To aid with this, the Industrial Tyre Association (ITA) has shared expert cost saving and safety tips to prepare the industrial sector for winter. ITA vice chair Clive Green has provided these tips as part of the association’s tyre selection standards to help minimise accidents and reduce unnecessary breakdowns:
Continental Tire North America reports having officially exceeded its goal of increased compliance with the US Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Transport Partnership during its first year of participation. Continental first joined the SmartWay Transport Partnership in June 2008 as a Shipper Partner, committing to reduce its environmental impacts from ground freight transportation. In joining the partnership, the tyre manufacturer agreed to use the Freight Logistics Environmental and Energy Tracking (FLEET) Performance Model for Shippers to quantify its environmental performance level. Continental was then required to maintain a score of at least 0.5 within the FLEET Performance Model.
Continental’s HTL1 super wide trailer tyre was introduced into North American markets in early July, and the company reports that users there are already praising a particular benefit delivered by the on/off road and construction use tyre. Although most fleets choose a super single trailer tyre to reduce weight or increase fuel economy, Continental Tire North America states customers have reported the HTL1’s stone ejection system increases tyre longevity other super single trailer tyres they have used.
Grouptyre has teamed up with Federal – the value brand for which the independent wholesaler has exclusive distribution rights in the UK – to launch a national promotion, which promises a Red Letter Day for six lucky retailers.
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Just-auto has published a new report on the global automotive tyre industry, including revised forecasts for the market until 2016. The 91-page fifth edition reviews emerging trends, such as the rising interest in run-flat, UHP and what the report calls ultra-fuel efficiency tyres, and offers exclusive interviews with senior executives of Bridgestone, Continental and Goodyear. The report is available on the marketsandcompanies.com website for download at a cost of £575.
Manufacturer warns of the dangers of bowing to economic forces at the expense of tyre safety checks
British Formula One Drivers Championship leader, Jenson Button opened Bridgestone’s Driving Nation Roadshow in Birmingham on Thursday 30 July.
Bitumen supplier Nynas has exclusively fitted Continental tyres to its fleet of 120 tractor units and trailers for the past 15 years, and the decision to do so appears to be paying off – the company’s annual tyre budget is said to be lower now than a decade ago. A combination of good tyre husbandry – an annual independent audit by entyrety shows the company as being amongst the top performers in terms of its tyre management process – and the tyres chosen are to thank for this happy situation. Nynas reports achieving good wear from the tyres, while benefitting from their low weight and the contribution they make towards fuel efficiency: it is said that each truck can carry up to a tonne more payload every week, with fuel consumption of 8.64 mpg for tankers running at 44 tonnes.
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